Forever My Father
by TRAE SKITTY
Summary: Elle Dawkins, the wife of Tommy Dawkins, struggles to raise their son without his father. It's been 6 years since Tommy left. Merton has been there every step of the way to help but, with Max getting older and more curious he realizes a young boy really needs his father.
1. Chapter 1

Elle Dawkins, dressed head to toe as Catwoman, ran into her living room and hid behind a large bookcase. She could hear footsteps running into the room behind her.

"I know you're in here, Catwoman!" A tiny voiced shouted. The footsteps got closer and closer until a small boy dressed as Batman stood in front of her. A batarang held up high above his head, ready to throw.  
>"Batman! You got me this time!" She said and began to tickle him. The tiny Batman fell onto the sofa, laughing hysterically. She loved these moments. The moments where everything felt normal. When she actually felt like she was a part of a happy, healthy family.<p>

The doorbell rang and she ran to the door to answer it. She saw Merton's spiked hair through the distorted window on the front door. She opened the door and before either one of them could say anything the tiny boy in the Batman costume came running into the foyer.  
>"Uncle Merton!" He ran straight into Merton, nearly knocking him over.<br>"What's up, Max?" Merton asked as he hugged the little boy who looked at him confused and slightly angry. "Oh, I mean Batman! Did you stop Catwoman from stealing those diamonds from the museum?"

Max smiled and ran back into the living room, laughing the whole way. Merton looked at Elle in her Catwoman attire. She had always been a big fan of Batman and she loved costumes. The minute he found out she was pregnant, he knew she would be the best mother a child could have, even when she couldn't believe it herself.  
>"I don't know who enjoys this more – you or him?"<br>Elle smiled and took the Catwoman cowl off of her head, letting her long blonde hair fall down her shoulders. "I've had a long morning of thievery. I'm exhausted." Merton followed her into the living room, where Max was running around with his cape flying behind him. The two sat down on the sofa and watched the boy run all his energy out. When he finally got tired, he jumped on the sofa next to his mother.

"Is Gotham safe now, Batman?" Elle asked.  
>"Duh, Mom," he said and took off his mask. Merton couldn't believe how much he looked like Tommy. It made him feel like he was still in that wormhole talking to their younger selves before going to stop Boris. It was a constant reminder of Tommy' absence in their lives.<br>"Good, because Catwoman needs to start making something delicious for us to eat for lunch."  
>"Uncle Merton?"<br>"Yeah, buddy?"  
>"Are you my Dad?"<p>

Elle had been playing with the little boy's hair, stroking it gently. She stopped and looked at Merton. They stared at each other for a long time, not knowing what to say. He could see the tears welling up in her eyes. Even after 6 years, it still hurt like a fresh wound.  
>"No. I'm your Uncle, Max. You know that. Why would you ask that?"<br>Max sighed and fidgeted. "Well, everyone at school has a Dad. There's even a boy that has 2 Dads! I just figured since you were always around you were my Dad but, just had a weird name or something."

Merton looked at Max, not knowing what to say. The poor kid had never known his father. He couldn't imagine growing up without his father. There are tons of children that grow up with only 1 parent but, for Max it was different. He was half werewolf. Normal kids are hard enough to raise but, raising a child with supernatural powers when you're nothing but a mere mortal is much more difficult. Some questions had already popped up about why he was different and together, he and Elle had answered them to the best of their ability. But this boy really needed his father. Someone who could, from experience, teach him how to live as a werewolf.


	2. Chapter 2

NOTE: This story is an idea that randomly popped into my head while I was bored at work. I figured in my down time, I'll feed the idea and run with it. I have no idea where it's going but, hope you guys enjoy the ride.

This wasn't the first time Max had asked about his father. He had been asking questions since he learned to talk. For the longest time Elle never knew what to tell him, mostly because she didn't know how to make someone so young understand it all. She went through all the options in her head. There were so many times that she wanted to tell him that his father was dead. Sometimes it seemed like that would make it easier. However, she couldn't bring herself to say it. For the longest time she kept thinking to herself, he'll be coming back any day. As the years went by, she realized that that wasn't going to happen but. No matter what had happened, she still loved him deep down. She wanted to hate him. She really did. But the truth is that he was the love of her life and the father of her child and she just couldn't bear to hate him.

"Do you remember what I told you about your Daddy?" Elle asked him, as he nervously played with the Batman mask in his hands.  
>"He's a superhero."<br>"Yes. He is. Your Daddy is out there saving the world just like Batman. His job is very dangerous and he doesn't want us to get hurt. He said that when the world is safe again, he'll come home."  
>" I know. I just wish that he wasn't a superhero sometimes."<br>"I know, baby. Me too," she said and held him close to her. Max held his arm out for Merton to join the hug and he happily accepted.

"We love you, kiddo," Merton said. "Now who's ready to make tacos?"

Max jumped off the couch and screamed, "Oh! I am!"

"Let's go get started!" He followed Merton into the kitchen. Elle sat on the couch staring off in the distance. Her face had no expression. It was completely blank. She got up, walked to the bookcase and removed a small paperback book from the top shelf. She opened it to a page that was bookmarked with a picture of her and Tommy. It was from a random day at the zoo. They both looked so happy. The tears welled up again and she reminded herself that she had to be strong. She placed the picture back into the book and placed the book back on the shelf.

Max had seen pictures of his Dad before but, they weren't something that she had hanging on the walls. They had just moved into the house when he left, so she never bothered getting their wedding pictures printed and hung on the walls. She didn't want a constant visual reminder of the missing piece of her life. She had plenty of other things to remind her.  
>Elle gathered herself together and walked into the kitchen to help with dinner. Merton came over for dinner most nights. He lived just down the street. He spent so much time at the Dawkins residence; it was surprising he didn't live there. The only time he spent at home was to write and sleep. He had published several books and made a decent amount of money on them. Most of them were books about lycanthropy, specifically on Tommy but, he had written a couple of science-fiction books as well. Besides that, the only other time he was at home was if he was sleeping or had a girl over. Most nights if he didn't have a girl over, he was sleeping in the guest room next to Max's.<br>After dinner, Merton told them a ghost story by the fire place. Max begged for one every time. You could tell Merton was the only male role model in his life because he loved everything spooky. Just as Merton was about to tell another story, Max began to fall asleep.  
>"Aw man, this next one was good," Merton said, disappointed.<p>

"I'm sure you'll get another chance to tell it. Looks like it's time for me to put this pup to bed," Elle said, yawning. "Damn, this kid wear me out. It's my bedtime too, I guess." She looked at her phone and it was only 8:30.  
>"You're officially an old lady," Merton said, hugging her.<br>"You're going home tonight?"  
>"Yeah, I got some new ideas that I need to get out of my head."<br>"Goodnight, Merton."  
>"Goodnight, Elle. Goodnight, Max." Merton said before he bent down and kissed the boy on the head. Merton walked out the front door and closed it behind him. The air had a slight chill to it, making him pull his jacket tighter around him on his way back home. He couldn't keep his mind off of Max. Sure, the kid had questions now but, the older he gets, kids in school will realize who he is and who his father is. He could only begin to imagine what kind of trouble this would cause for him. Merton knew that he needed to find Tommy right away. Elle was going to be mad when she found out that Merton had been in contact with Tommy since he left and didn't tell her. But it was one of the many things that she was just going to have to get over.<p> 


	3. Chapter 3

Merton J. Dingle drove his hearse down the interstate. He didn't know exactly where Tommy was but, he knew he was staying in a town about 2 hours away from Pleasantville. He had met up with Tommy once since he left. Tommy had called him and asked him to meet him. Tommy was still confused and unsure of what to do since his Father's death at that point. Merton had sat with him at the bar for hours, comforting and consoling him. Merton had told him to take some time to think about things on his own and come back to town when he had everything figured out. He would have never told Tommy that had he known he was going to just disappear from their lives but, he didn't know what to tell the big guy at the time. Death can do that to people.

His cell phone rang and he glanced down to see that it was Melanie calling. She was a cute blonde with a love for anything vintage. He had been on a few dates with her and liked her a lot. He wished he could scoop her up and bring her back to his house but, his family came first. He ignored the phone call, knowing he might have to stay the night in a hotel considering it was already 9:30 and he wasn't even there yet. He felt bad for ignoring her but, he was entirely too distracted to talk right now.

The first place he would check was a bar called J&K. It was the last place he had seen Tommy. He walked in the door and surveyed the place. There were plenty of people there but, he didn't see Tommy. Merton sat at the end of the bar furthest from the entrance and ordered a drink. He pulled up a picture of Tommy on his cell phone and showed it to the bartender.  
>"Seen this guy come in here lately?"<br>The bartender stared at the picture and shook his head from side to side. "Never seen him come in here. Wait a second! That's the werewolf and you're the guy always writing books about him, right?"  
>"That's me."<br>"Awesome books, man. Shame what happened."  
>"Thanks. So you've never seen him here before?"<br>"No, sorry."

Merton knew it wasn't going to be that easy. Every person that walked in the door, he almost jumped out his seat, thinking and hoping that it was Tommy. Getting bored, he started to get acquainted with the people sitting around him at the bar. The bartender told him about his acting career and how he dreamed of being in movies, he only did bartending for the extra money. The older man sitting next to him told him of crazy stories, confirming Merton's theory of him being the lunatic town drunk.  
>After 2 hours, he started to lose hope and began to search other places in town on his phone.<p>

Out of the corner of his eye, Merton saw the door open. This time he didn't jump out of his seat. Even though the man that stood in front of the door looked vastly different that he remembered, he knew it was his best friend. He had a thick brown beard and long hair he could tuck behind his ears. He started walking towards the bar and Merton pulled the hood of his jacket over his head. He had come here to talk to Tommy but, realized he had no idea what to say. Tommy ordered a beer and sat at a table on the other side of the bar.

Merton felt paralyzed. For some reason, he was scared of him. He hadn't seen him in years, which was weird considering they used to see each other every day. He knew that he needed to suck it up and approach him. Merton walked up behind Tommy and stood still for a moment, collecting his thoughts.  
>"Why are you here?" Tommy grumbled without even turning around to look at him.<br>Merton walked around the table to face him but, Tommy stared down at the table. "How'd you know I was here?"  
>"I could pick your scent out of a lineup."<br>"I swear I put deodorant on this morning…" Merton began to mumble and nervously make jokes.  
>"Shut up. Sit down." Merton did as Tommy said. He took a seat and immediately began to fidget. Tommy slowly looked up at Merton. He had a look in his eyes that Merton didn't recognize. Tommy always had a glimmer of happiness in his eyes. Not now. They looked deep and dark and it downright scared him. "Why are you here?"<p>

"Tommy, I...I need to talk to you," Merton stuttered over his words. "I know that you've been gone for 6 years and you don't want anything to do with your old life anymore but, a lot of things have happened and now more than ever we really need-"

"I'm not going back. I can't go back."  
>"Tommy, you don't understand-"<br>Tommy slammed his hands on the table and leaned over the table. "I can't go back. Not after everything that happened. Too many people suffered because of me. You're all better off without me."  
>"You don't realize what you did when you left us! You think you're saving us, running away but, you made it so much worse. Everything is a mess! First off, Pleasantville is overrun with monsters. I'm doing my best to patrol and keep everyone educated on how to protect themselves but, I'm only human. I can only do so much."<br>"That town doesn't want me to protect them."  
>"They cherished your protection for a long time and I know that when everything went down, they doubted you but, I've been out there proving them wrong. I'm out there doing interviews, telling people the truth in every way that I can! I just published another book for God's sake! You know how many books I've written about you and what you've done? Sure, there's the few that refuse to believe that you're a good werewolf but, my books have turned so many people around to the truth! Not just in Pleasantville, all over the country!"<p>

Tommy nervously looked around. Merton was getting loud and pretty damn angry. Even though the truth of him being a werewolf was out there, he moved away and grew his hair and beard out to hide. He hated his celebrity status. He had managed to keep quiet in this town for 6 years and he wanted to keep it that way.  
>"I know everything you've done, Merton. I've read every single one of your books, which you know is an accomplishment for me. I loved every single one. If they had come out when my secret first went public, maybe it would have made a difference but, you know that everyone in Pleasantville blames Lori's and my dad's death on me." Tommy paused and hurriedly bottled his emotions. He couldn't even mention their deaths without tearing up. "Not to mention, two people have died because of me. Sure I didn't actually kill them but, if it wasn't for me, it would have never happened. That's why you're all better off without me."<p>

"You got it all wrong! We're lost without you! Your Mom misses you so much, Tommy. She lost her husband, the love of her life and the father of her two sons! Dean has stepped up; you wouldn't even recognize him anymore! He's lost a lot of weight and he's all into fitness now. He's taking care of your mother but, she needs you."  
>"She's safer without me," Tommy said, taking the last swig of his beer and then tossing it in the trash can.<br>"What about Elle? She's a strong woman but, she's broken inside. She's not the same person she used to be when you were around. I remember when we first met her and the thing that I loved about her first was her laugh. I haven't heard that laugh in years, Tommy!"  
>"She's safer without me."<br>"What about me, huh? I lost my best friend! You were the first friend I ever had, Tommy! The only person who ever really cared about me! I guess you never really cared if you can just leave without any warning. You left because you were scared but, we were scared too!" Merton was starting to yell louder.  
>Tommy said quietly, "You're safer without me."<br>Merton stood up and gently pushed in his chair. "You know what? Maybe I am safer without you. Maybe your Mom is safer without you. Maybe Elle is safer without you. I know one thing for sure. Your son is safer growing up without you in his life. He doesn't need a coward for a father." Merton grabbed his keys out of his pocket and stormed out of the bar.


	4. Chapter 4

Merton was unlocking the door, when Tommy pushed him against the hearse. He held one hand around Merton's throat and one flat against his chest. "What the hell did you say in there?"  
>Merton choked before saying, "What, now you care? Max doesn't need you. I thought he did but, he doesn't."<br>Tommy's eyes began to glow yellow, "Who is Max?"  
>"He's your son, Tommy. You have a son."<br>Tommy let go of Merton and backed away from him, confusion flooding his face. "Is this some sort of trick to get me to come back home?"  
>"No. He's why I came here tonight."<br>"You're lying," Tommy growled.  
>"Why would I lie to you, Tommy?" Merton said as he pulled his phone out of his pocket, pulled up a picture of Max with his mother and showed it to him. "That's your son."<br>Tommy looked at the picture in disbelief. He stared at a young boy that looked like eerily like him. "How…"  
>"He's 6 years old. He's super smart. Absolutely loves comic books and superheroes. He's a good kid but, he's got a lot of questions about you and about his powers. Elle and myself have done our best to explain things to him but, he needs a father."<br>"He's a werewolf?"  
>Merton gave him an are-you-kidding-me look. "He's young so I don't know the full extent of his powers. I'm not really sure if he's a full-on werewolf since Elle's only human but, he shows most symptoms."<br>"I can't believe this," Tommy said, cupping his head in his hands.  
>"I've done my best to be there for Elle and we pretty much raised him together. When he first started asking questions about you, he was so young and we didn't know what to say, so we told him that you were a superhero and you were out saving the world. It was the only thing we knew he would understand," Merton smirked and added, "He started drawing a comic book about you."<br>A very small smile crept onto Tommy's face.

"I thought you already knew. It's been mentioned on the news a couple of times. We tried our best to keep it quiet but, you know how that goes."  
>"I don't watch TV much."<br>"You know what he asked me today? He asked me if I was his father. He said he knew what we had told him about you but, he thought because I was always around I was really his father. It broke my heart, Tommy. I love this kid more than anything in this world. I don't want him to be hurt. He's been in school without any major incidents. But now that he's getting older, I have a feeling things are going to get more complicated. He needs someone who understands what he's going through." Tommy kept staring at the picture on Merton's phone. "I thought if I came here tonight and told you about Max, you would come home and maybe everything would change and be normal. Deep down, no matter what happens, you're still my best friend and I want Max to know how amazing his father is."  
>Tommy handed the phone back to Merton and gave him a hug. Merton flinched at first, not knowing exactly what he was going to do.<br>"Elle and I used to argue over baby names. We weren't even ready to have kids but, the conversation would come up and I always joked that if we had a boy I wanted to name him John Elway Dawkins. She used to get so mad about it. So I told her if I couldn't name him that, I always liked the name Max.  
>"His middle name is Elway."<br>Tommy laughed, "Max Elway Dawkins. I won't let him down, Merton. I promise." 


	5. Chapter 5

Elle was running across town, as fast as her legs would take her. She could sense someone following her. She could see Tommy's parent's house. It was close but, she didn't think she could make it any farther. She sprinted the rest of the way and finally made it inside the house. She leaned against the back of the front door, catching her breath. She saw Tommy kneeling on the floor, crying. Then she saw Tommy's father's lifeless body lying in front of him. His entire body was beaten, bruised and bloody. She heard a noise coming from behind her. She turned around and a werewolf jumped at her.

Elle jolted awake. She was just dreaming. The night they had found Bob Dawkins' dead had haunted her dreams many nights. Besides the running and the werewolf attack at the end, everything else was exactly how she remembered. The gory scene had been haunting her different lately, adding new things, as if it wasn't scary enough on its own.

As she sat upright in bed staring distantly, Max came running into her bedroom. Elle took control of her emotions and did her best to put on a smile. "Mom, can we go to the comic book shop today?"  
>"Sure, baby."<br>"Mom, are you okay?"  
>Elle looked at her little boy, his eyes full of concern. "I'm fine. Let's go get dressed so we can buy some comics!"<p>

As Elle and Max were walking to the driveway and getting in the car, she had that creepy feeling like they were being watched. She got Max into the car and looked up and down the street but, saw nothing out of the ordinary. Although, she couldn't shake the feeling. She was feeling paranoid during the whole drive to the comic book shop. Max sat in the back seat ranting about the new Batman comic, but she wasn't listening. Elle parked in front of the store and Max immediately jumped out of the car and began to run inside.  
>"Max Elway! Do not run off without me! You know better than that!"<br>Max turned around and looked at Elle with his big hazel brown eyes. "Sorry, Mom. Come on, the comics are waiting!"  
>Elle caught up with her son and they walked inside the comic book shop. Max's eyes lit up like it was Christmas. This was his favorite day of the month. He ran down the aisles and grabbed one issue after another.<p>

"Good morning, Elle," A man with shaggy hair behind the counter said to her and waved.  
>"Hey, Charlie!" She sat down at the stool sitting next to the counter. She kept an eye on Max running around the store.<br>"I've got something you might like," he said and pulled a bag from behind the counter. He carefully placed a black bag on the counter and smiled.  
>"Thank god. I thought this was steering in the direction of a dick joke. What is it?" Charlie only smiled and began to take a comic ever so carefully out of the bag. He took it out and placed it in front of Elle. It was a first print Mad Love signed by Paul Dini and Bruce Timm, the writers of the comic. "How did you get that?"<br>"A customer came in the other day selling a bunch of comics. He had some good ones but, he wanted a little too much money for them so I only bought a handful. I saw this one and remembered that you said that your copy got messed up in the move and I know you were pretty upset about it so, I knew I had to get this one."  
>"Charlie, that's so sweet but, I don't think I can spend that kind of money today."<br>"You don't have to. It's a gift."  
>"I can't-"<br>"Please, Elle. I bought it for you. I know you've been looking for another copy."  
>Elle wanted to argue with him but, she realized she would never win. "Thank you." Elle had become good friends with Charlie over the years just from coming into the store and talking about comics. When Tommy left, Elle worked in the shop for a while because Charlie needed some temporary help. Not to mention it helped her get her mind off of everything else. He had fallen in love with her but she told him upfront that she wasn't looking for a relationship and he understood that. They remained friends but, anyone could tell that he still loved her. If she ever changed her mind, he'd be at her door step in a heartbeat.<p>

"What's up Max?" Charlie asked as Max walked up to the counter with his stack of comics.  
>"Nothing, just getting some comics," he said and handed them over to him.<br>"Let's see what you got – a few Batman comics, Teen Titans, Avengers – all good choices, man. I'll just ring these up and I have the usuals back here for you, Elle."  
>"Sounds good," she said as she took her wallet out of her purse. She saw someone standing outside the store, staring through the window. Shadows hung over his face preventing her from seeing his face clearly. She handed Charlie some cash and when she looked back to the window, the man was gone.<br>"You okay, Elle?"  
>"Uh…yeah. Thanks for everything, Charlie," she said as she took the bag, grabbed Max's hand and walked to the car.<br>Elle nervously checked her mirrors the whole way home. When her phone rang, it scared her so bad she almost swerved into the next lane. She answered it and it picked up through the blue tooth on her car. "Hey, Merton. Max and I are on our way home with some new comics."  
>"Awesome! Want me to meet you at the house?"<br>"Yeah, we'll be there in a couple of minutes," Elle said and hung up. She didn't mention her paranoia to Merton because she didn't want Max to overhear and get scared. When they got home, Max ran to the backyard to go read his comics in his hammock. Elle stopped at the front door to fix her new fall wreath and then got another creepy feeling. She reached inside her purse for her gun and swung around to see it pointing at her husband.


	6. Chapter 6

The gun started shaking in Elle's hands. She couldn't believe Tommy was standing in front of her. He was barely recognizable with his thick beard and long hair tucked behind his ears but, she looked in his eyes and knew it was him. She had pictured in her mind a million times what she would say, what she would do if he showed up again. However, she just stood there shaking a gun in his face, her mind racing endlessly all while being completely blank at the same time.

He reached to lower the gun from his face. "Don't touch me!" Elle screamed and steadied her hand.

"I didn't expect this for a welcome party," Tommy said, putting his hands up in the air.  
>Elle stood in disbelief. "You really think after leaving me for 6 years without any word, I would just welcome you back?"<br>"So your solution is to shoot me?" He laughed, tucked his hair behind his ears and put his hands back down at his side.

Elle put the gun down and took a deep breath. "No. I'm just protecting myself."  
>"From your husband? I'm not going to hurt you, Elle."<br>"Husband? I know that may be your legal relation to me but, I wouldn't call you that. You left," she said, the tears she was trying to hold in, starting to fall, "You left me all alone in the midst of all that crap. You left everyone and everything behind and didn't give a shit."  
>"That's not true. I had to leave. It was too much. I couldn't take it."<br>Elle laughed. "But you thought I could? So you left me to deal with all the bullshit?"  
>"After everything that I went through when my secret went public, I just couldn't take anymore."<br>"I went through all of it too, you know!"  
>"Not like I did. You could never -"Tommy was interrupted by Max running from the backyard and over to his mother. Max stood in between the two as he stared at Tommy with rage mixed with curiosity. His eyes flashed yellow.<p>

"Who are you?" Max asked, standing as tall as possible, trying to look tough.  
>Before Tommy could say anything, Elle interrupted. "Max, this is an old friend of mine. We're just talking. Go back to your hammock and read your comics."<br>He looked at Elle and then back at Tommy. "You don't talk to each other like friends. You're angry."  
>"Max Elway, I said go read your comics."<br>Max wanted to protest but, then noticed Merton walking up the driveway and ran towards him. "Uncle Merton! I got the new Batman! I have it in the backyard!"  
>Merton noticed Tommy and Elle. "The new Batman? Well, why are we up here not reading it! Let's go!" Max ran to the backyard as Merton nodded at Tommy and followed after him. Tommy couldn't believe his eyes. He looked so much like him, it was unreal.<br>"What do you want?" Elle asked.  
>"I want to come back home. I miss you, Elle."<br>"I've been waiting 6 years for you to come back and say those words to me. 6 years," Elle said, tearing up again. "And now, here you are. When you left, my world ended. I had to learn to live life without you which was one of the most difficult things I've ever had to do. On top of all of that, I found out I was pregnant and realized I would have to raise a child on my own. I lost countless hours of sleep, staring at the ceiling, wondering when you would come back to me. You're my everything, Tommy. I love you more than life itself. But, why now?"  
>"Max needs me."<br>"What are you talking about?"  
>"A boy needs his father. Especially someone like Max."<br>"It took you 6 years to realize that?"  
>"I just found out about him last night."<br>"I don't know if I want you to be a part of his life."  
>Tommy was surprised by this. "Why?"<br>"You've been absent for the entirety of his life and now you just want to come in and play Daddy? Good Dads are reliable and that's one thing you aren't, Tommy Dawkins."

"I realize that you don't trust me anymore but, I love you Elle. Even though I don't know Max, I love him too. He's half you and half me. I couldn't imagine anything in this world cooler than that. I want to be there for him. I want to protect him. I want to explain anything and everything that he's ever wanted to know. Merton was right. He needs me."  
>"What do you mean, 'Merton was right'?" Elle narrowed her eyes, suspiciously.<br>"Merton told me about Max last night, telling me that he needed me because his powers were getting stronger and he had more questions about the wolf. He's right."  
>"Merton just magically knew where to find you?"<br>"Well not exactly. I had seen him after I ran away but I really haven't talked to him since but, he just went back to the same place we met before and found me."  
>"That little son of a-" before Elle could finish, Merton was standing next to her like his ears had been ringing.<br>"Merton!" Both Elle and Tommy yelled at the same time.

"Heh heh. Look at you two. Together again. Isn't this the perfect-Ow!" Merton yelled after Elle had hit him in the arm.  
>"Dingle, you knew! You knew where he was the whole time! You lied to me for 6 years! Then on top of all of that, you go behind my back and tell him to come home without me knowing?"<br>"Elle, I thought I was doing the right thing."

"I thought I could trust you, Merton. You were everything to Max and I. You were always there for us. I must be as gullible as I look."

"You can still trust me, Elle."  
>"Leave. Both of you leave." Tommy and Merton looked at her, not knowing what to say. "I said leave!" Merton nudged Tommy and they started walking towards Merton's house. When Tommy got to the street, he looked back at Elle. She was standing with her arms crossed; looking so mad he was surprised steam wasn't coming out of her ears. Then he saw a curious face peek from the backyard. Max had his head stuck in the opening of the gate trying to get a glimpse of all the excitement. Tommy took a deep breath and he smiled ever so slightly. He knew that Elle was mad and he knew that it would be hard but, no matter what he was going to be a part of this family. He wanted to be the husband and father that he should have been a long time ago. <p>

Elle gently put the gun back in her purse and walked inside. She closed the door and leaned against it, sobbing. She was trying her hardest to keep all her emotions trapped inside for Max's sake but, she just couldn't do it. She slid down to the floor and held her head in her hands. "Keep it together, Elle," she whispered to herself. She took a couple of deep breaths, wiped her face and opened the back door to check on Max.  
>The second he heard the door open, he was running towards Elle. "I didn't mean to interrupt you, go read your comics."<p>

"That man smelled funny," he said looking up at her. She looked at him in confusion. She didn't notice anything repulsive about Tommy other than the way he made her feel.

"Max, that's not nice."  
>"No, Mom. He did. He didn't smell like you or Merton or anyone I've ever smelled before. He smelled different."<br>"I don't know what you mean, Max."  
>Max looked at her, studying her. Sometimes she forgot that he was only 6 years old. He was so smart and mature for his age. Because of his "condition" he didn't have a lot of friends so he spent most of his time with adults. He was a very friendly and likeable kid but, most parents were scared and didn't want their children hanging out with a monster. Everyone knew what he was and knew what had happened to their family. He looked at her with a face that she had never seen on her child before. "He's my Dad, isn't he?"<p> 


End file.
